Are you getting lucky?

I have been incredibly lucky professionally. Lucky to stumble upon the right opportunities, lucky to meet the right people, lucky to have incredible managers, and lucky to work on rewarding projects.

Earlier this year, when narrating how lucky I had been both in India and the UK to have chanced upon incredible opportunities and how at times I am massively worried I might lose it all or my luck might run out, I was asked some pointed questions...

Have you wondered how you got so lucky? Have you ever reflected upon what brought all that luck to you? Yes, there were coincidences and random shots. However, what is it that you have done to herd the many opportunities and luck towards you? What was your contribution to creating the luck?

Powerful questions! They forced me to think about my ‘good luck’ and reflect upon my contribution to attracting good luck. Here’s what I narrowed it down to,

- The first I would say is to know what you want. Having clear goals and pursuing them. At 21, I had a life plan till 35. I had a good understanding of what experiences I would like to have and understood the requirement of at times going with the flow when chasing your goals.

The organisations I worked with were where I hoped to be, the people I worked professionally- I was both attracted to them and attracted them to me initially due to the clarity of my path and after that because of our shared values and aspirations, goals.

25 years back, I was not aware of a concept of a vision board and did not have one. However, there were journals that I wrote, pin-up boards that were a constant feature on my desk, and a massive box of innumerable paper cuttings of goals, and experiences I would like to pursue.

I also believe the times when I was not lucky is when what I wanted was unclear, my goals had become hazy, there was a lack of direction, and I was not living intentionally.

- Good karma had a large role in making me lucky. Paying forward, helping people, without expectation, and sharing time, information, ideas, and skills freely. Though my gestures were not intended with any expectations of returns, they were rewarded in many ways- through referrals, recommendations to opportunities that I never would have otherwise had access to, and a growing tribe that supported me in my various professional challenges through coaching, inputs, and expertise. Most importantly a large bunch of people wishing me well and rooting for me at every step.

- Preparation, honing my skills. I never stopped learning. There is a PDP always in action. Working on ourselves, developing our skills, doing our best today, and preparing for what might not even be in sight gets us ready for the opportunities. And when the opportunity did show itself, I felt ready and confident to grab it.

- The power of good health, mental & physical, and a positive attitude must not be underestimated. We can rise to the toughest of challenges, and curve balls, with the right mental and physical health. When we are tired and stressed or not at 100%, our positivity, and zeal to move forward tends to shrink and we start focusing on our needs and ourselves. When we are relaxed when our wellbeing is not compromised we expand outwards and spot opportunities more easily.

- Most importantly, the belief that 'I am lucky' and having faith in ourselves helps manifest opportunities. Believing that we are lucky changes our mindset. When we believe in being lucky, we feel more in control because we believe external factors will be in our favor....and therefore we are much more likely to preserver towards our goals.

The more I believed in being lucky, the more receptive I was to the opportunities around me...and the more confidence I had they would work out for me.

Yes, we will always be scared of losing what we have if we don’t reflect on our own contribution to creating luck. Now, are you getting lucky?